Out of form Australian No.6 batsman Marcus North has said that he will draw inspiration from team-mate Michael Hussey in order to save his international career.
Amid calls for his sacking, North vowed not to let down skipper Ricky Ponting if he was retained for the third Test against Pakistan in Hobart from Thursday.
North was named in the 13-man squad but faces a nervous 72-hour wait as national selectors sweat on the fitness of opener Simon Katich, who missed the second Test with an elbow injury.
The Sunday Mail reports that North has Ponting's backing to play his 13th Test, and the West Australian is determined to silence critics with his first Test ton of the summer after scoring 186 runs from his past five Tests at a mediocre average of 23.25.
A motivating force is Hussey, who issued North a career-saving template last week with 134 not out to help sink Pakistan in Sydney, as his Test future was under the microscope.
Asked if he was playing for his Test career in Hobart, North said: "I don't think so. To be honest, since the day I got called up, I've never taken my spot for granted or looked too far ahead. I'm very confident I will get runs in this Test match but if I don't, well . . . I guess the future is in my hands."
"I know there's been a couple of questions about my position in the past few weeks, but 'Huss' has had to deal with the criticism for 10 months. I'm not making excuses.
"I feel I'm hitting the ball well, my preparation has been excellent and rather than being worried going down to Hobart, I'm happy I've got the backing of the selectors and I'm excited about this Test," he said.
"I've got a feeling that my next Test hundred is just around the corner, and I am taking inspiration from Huss," North added.
